


Enhanced

by CarrsCorner



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Medical Procedures, Medical Trauma, Mentions of canon characters - Freeform, OC-focused, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:48:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28833654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarrsCorner/pseuds/CarrsCorner
Summary: Without a word, Sombra handed her a thick folder with, as she understood, documents. ‘Thick’ isn’t even expressing the overall bulkiness of it; it was huge, she never saw a documentation this big, not even in Moira's lab.‘What is this?’ Carr asked quietly. She didn’t move from her spot, expecting an explanation first.‘Your past,’ replied Sombra immediately. ‘Everything I’ve been able to find about you.’A story about a young medic trying to find herself after going through memory loss.The story takes place in the Overwatch universe with mentions of some official heroes, but it focuses on my original character and her adventures.
Kudos: 10





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So, I decided to post an original work here. I am so invested in Carr's story that I wanted to share it with the world!  
> If something is not clarified, it most will be clarified in next chapters. Appropriate tags will be added as I go.

_ Meet me at our favourite spot at midnight. S _

Carr was sitting in Moira’s lab, comparing test results on her holopad as the message appeared in the bottom right corner of the screen. It vanished as soon as she read it and it was nowhere to be found. For a moment, she thought that it might be her sleep deprivation playing tricks on her, as she stayed a bit late yesterday to catch up with work she didn’t complete the day before, but it wasn’t the first time Sombra contacted her like this, so she believed the message must be real. She raised her head and looked around to check if anyone in the lab saw her receiving the message, but once she realised no one is paying attention to what she is doing, she felt calmer. She quickly fixed her white hair and went back to work, deciding to not worry about what might be the reason for them to meet so late at night, at least for now. She still had a few hours ahead of her.

When the clock showed 3PM, Carr greeted the end of her shift with sigh of relief. She took off her lab coat and hung it on the hanger and headed straight to the door. She enjoyed her lab work, learning about medicine and genetics was entertaining, though, she despised all the tests and examinations she had to go through along with them. She hoped that, over time, she would be able to give up on constant testing of her healing gear, and yet, here she was, having the same blood tests, the same checkups, the same procedures she went through every day since she was able to use it. Every day, for three years, God knows why. The whole ‘lab assistant’ gig was only to keep her busy during the day, as her main role was just being Moira’s lab rat and a walking healthpack.

‘Kid,’ said Moira just as she was about to leave the lab. Her voice low and harsh, as always. The sudden interaction made Carr shiver. ‘I expect you to be in perfect shape tomorrow. I will need your assistance with something delicate that demands a full contrentration.’

‘Of course,’ sighed Carr not looking at her. ‘See you tomorrow.'

She went out of the lab and stretched vigorously her arms and back on the way out of the medical wing. After her shift was over, it was time to eat something in the cafeteria, and go back to her own duties. She usually chose a gym or shooting range to train a little bit and keep herself in good shape. Today, the choice was gym, just to wake herself up a little bit. She didn’t feel like using her blaster today.

She ate alone and trained alone, not really having many friends here, by her own choice. It has been three years, but she still hasn't gotten used to people here. Carr clearly knew she isn't the same as them. She didn't want to be here, obviously, she wasn’t there from her own choice. She never had a choice. She wanted to help and be useful for something other than medical aid during terrorist attacks. The people she loved and admired are long gone, and the only person she trusted was Sombra.

When she got back to her room, she took a quick shower, put on her traditional sleeping attire - a loose T-shirt and a pair of maroon sweatpants and went to bed. She still had a few hours before meeting Sombra, so he grabbed her holopad to keep herself busy and not let herself fall asleep. 

Carr’s room was small; it was obvious that she lived in a room that previously served as an on-call room, in which medics taking night shifts could take a short nap while waiting for the call. It was intentional; Moira wanted her to be close, keeping an eye on her at all times, considering her weird state of health.

The room contained a few furniture items - on the right, there was a slim wardrobe and a bed, which was covered with a bedsheet and a warm, maroon blanket. On the opposite side of the room stood a small desk with a chair, a bookshelf and door to the bathroom. Right in front of the entrance there was a small window that kept the room lit during the day. It was at least two times smaller than usual quarters, but she didn’t have much things anyway to need extra space. It was enough.

Within those three years, Carr managed to make her own little room cozy and decorated it with some things - a long string of fairy lights was attached to the bed railing, there were photos on the wall above the desk along with a blueprint of the robotic eye she had a surgery for two years ago. On the desk stood a mug holding various pens and pencils, electric kettle and another two mugs to make herself tea in the morning. Next to them a small radio, a gift from her best friend, the first thing she truly owned in this hell of a place. Books and other little trinkets were piled up on the bookshelf, and this was also where she usually put the holster with her gun when she didn’t use it.

She watched the Overwatch cartoons for two hours. Being in Talon not from her own will made her find unusual ways to cope with it, and one of them was watching cartoons kids found inspiring. She found them inspiring, too; they were reassuring in some ways, she promised herself that if she ever gets out of here, she will be just like them - helping other people and using her gear for a good cause. If Overwatch still existed, she probably could join them and train under their wings. But would they really take her? A weakling with health issues so severe she had to be under constant supervision? She had to deal with the comments and being treated differently anyway, there was no guarantee it will be better outside of this place.

The sudden thought annoyed her, so she turned off her holopad and grabbed a book from the desk to keep her mind busy.

15 minutes before midnight Carr got out of the bed, grabbed a warm hoodie and put a pair of old sneakers on. Carefully, she went out of her room and left the medical wing, knowing no one is going to wander around there at night. To not light the corridors with the dim light of her gear, she put her left hand into the hoodie’s pocket.

She was as quiet as possible, slowly going through the corridors. She had to go right, left, take the stairs down to the lowest level possible, and then turn left twice. No one was around, she didn't hear any footsteps. 

When she arrived at their meeting spot, exactly at midnight, no one was there. A few seconds had passed before a familiar silhouette appeared in front of her. Sombra. She was carrying something in her hands.

Without a word, Sombra handed her a thick folder with, as she understood, documents. ‘Thick’ isn’t even expressing the overall bulkiness of it; it was  _ huge _ , she never saw a documentation this big, not even in Moira's lab.

‘What is this?’ Carr asked quietly. She didn’t move from her spot, expecting an explanation first.

‘Your past,’ replied Sombra immediately. ‘Everything I’ve been able to find about you.’

‘What?’ she whispered, not expecting such response.

‘You heard me right. It’s your medical file. It’s time you learn the truth. It won’t bring your memories back, but at least you will be able to get your identity back.’

Carr’s blue eyes wandered from the files to Sombra, and back to the files. She suddenly felt lightheaded. 

'I will help you get out of here safely tonight if that's what you'd like to do,’ added the hacker.

‘Why didn’t you tell me earlier?’ she asked, visibly confused. ‘Why now?’

‘Because your health wasn’t stable enough to let you go yet. You wouldn’t survive without Moira.’

Carr looked at the documents again, trying to process what she just heard. It was so sudden, so surreal to just think that she will ever get to know her past, be able to learn who she was before they kidnapped her and wiped out her memories, if they really did that. 

‘I’m giving you a choice, amiga’, Sombra said with a smirk, after a long moment of silence. ‘You can stay here and suffer under Moira’s filthy hands or run away and finally live however you want. I’ve been waiting to give this to you since you arrived here.’

This didn’t make sense.

She wanted to give it to her for how long, three years? And she couldn't do it earlier? Was her state really this bad that it had to wait so long to get her freedom back? And if she really gets out of here, then what? She had nowhere to go. She highly doubted somebody was waiting for her. 

‘Did he know?’ Carr asked quietly.

Sombra nodded.

‘Yes. From the first day you appeared at his workshop. Protected you all this time.’

Of course he knew. Though, it was surprising that he managed to keep it a secret from her for so long. He wasn’t the type to keep secrets.

'Please, take it, my hands are in pain,' muttered Sombra after a few seconds of silence.

Carr slowly stretched out her arm and grabbed the files, hugging them to her. She’s holding a knowledge about her whole past in her arms. Her heart, already pounding in her chest, started to beat faster. She stood there completely frozen, not knowing what to say. A moment has passed since Sombra spoke again.

‘Read it thoroughly and be ready at 3 AM. Pack only necessities, don’t leave the files in your room. You will find everything you need in this folder to be able to go. I will be waiting at the back entrance and guide you from there. I will knock the security cameras down for this time but be careful for any soldiers wandering around, got it?’

Carr nodded lightly and looked at the hacker.

‘Thanks, Sombra,’ she muttered. 

‘Oh, don’t thank me yet. Go and prepare yourself.’


	2. TERMINAL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She set the documents aside and started to go through the pile of papers. They were grouped into bigger or smaller sets, all neatly stacked with their purpose and chronology. She skipped all the hospital papers as something else caught her attention.
> 
> 'Improving terminal illness through body enhancements and using it for healing purposes, dr Moira O’deorain'
> 
> Huh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is here! Thank you for your support so far, I hope you will like the story ;~;  
> This chapter was specifically difficult because of the explanations. I hope they all make sense, or at least you can somehow understand how it works. I'm willing to explain it further.
> 
> Enjoy!

When Carr opened the folder, the first thing she saw was a flight ticket to Warsaw under the name Reid, Charlotte. Departure was today at 6:30AM. Then, she noticed a passport and a personal ID, with her photos and the same name as on the ticket. There was also a debit card. A 4-digit code was written on the inside of the folder, probably a PIN to the card. 

_So Charlotte Reid, eh? Lovely name._

No one really thought about telling her her full name there. She was _just_ Carr, this is how everyone referred to her. How she referred to herself. She didn’t know her date of birth either, only knew about the date they brought her to Talon, but that was not something she wanted to celebrate, at all. She barely knew _anything_ about herself. Carr always wondered if having a clear file is a blessing or a curse, and couldn’t really answer that question so far.

She set the documents aside and started to go through the pile of papers. They were grouped into bigger or smaller sets, all neatly stacked with their purpose and chronology. She skipped all the hospital papers as something else caught her attention.

_Improving terminal illness through body enhancements and using it for healing purposes, dr Moira O’deorain_

Huh.

_The subject suffers from a terminal illness which attacks the immune system. The cells in her body are regenerating rapidly and constantly, to the point that her own organism attacks itself, making the patient's immunity almost nonexistent, her whole system prone to infections and viruses. Even though her injuries and wounds are able to regenerate within seconds, leaving no visible scars, she is still in risk of organ failure due to the dual nature of this illness._

_There is no clear explanation as of why the organism is reacting this way other than there are a few genes affected and changed. The medical treatments the subject went through often were not successful and resulted in full immunity and no reaction to given medications. In effect, there is no medical treatment that would stop the illness from spreading and attacking the organism. The most that can be done is slowing down the spreading, which will still result in death._

She quickly sweeped the pages looking for more informations, trying to prioritize what she should read next, to not waste too much time on that. She intentionally avoided all the definitions she didn’t understand and calculations that meant nothing to her.

_The gear implanted into the forearm and hand is designated to gather and drain the damaged cells from the blood and convert them into a safe to use healing mechanism. It is meant to help the organism get rid of the dangerous excess, so the body cannot attack itself, and keep the safe amount of damaged cells. Tests proved that the cells collected from a patient's organism are able to heal injuries and wounds of other people as well, which can be exploited in medicine and researched further._

_It is recommended to strengthen the patient's organism before attempting this surgery. Patients not strong enough might not be able to survive the procedure. It is important to ensure that after the surgery, the ill is monitored at all times and receives regular, recommended doses of medications so the body cannot reject the implants. In this specific case, the recovery period took twenty three days until it was safe to begin the process of testing._

_There were only five known cases of this disease around the world and the subject described in this work is the oldest, and the only one that survived through the procedure. The body enhancement allowing the overflow to leave the organism was proven to be the most successful procedure for this type of illness, but there are high risks that should be taken into account before attempting it._

Holy shit.

_It is important for the subject to monitor their healing usage, especially in the beginning of the process of adapting their body to new situation, as continuous, careless usage of the gear can result in various side effects, ranging from nosebleeds, dizziness, rapid loss of weight, to losing consciousness, organ failure or death. While the enhancement helps tremendously with the symptoms and lets the patients get their quality of life back, it is still a terminal illness that should be thoroughly monitored and taken care of. If not treated properly, all symptoms may return with a bigger impact than before, speeding up the spread, resulting with quicker death._

Carr sat there in silence, trying to process what she just read. Suddenly, everything made sense. All the daily tests she went through. The dizziness, nosebleeds and losing consciousness when she was training harder than usual, or coming back from missions. No visible scars or wounds, them healing literally seconds after injuries. Not being able to gain weight for so long. All the medications she had to take for such a long time. Moira being overprotective of her health. All the prohibitions and orders. She didn’t understand why, why she had to go through all of this, up until now. No one bothered to tell her she has a terminal illness. No one explained why she had to go through this much. They must have intentionally wiped out her memory so she doesn't remember anything and obey them. Told her it’s necessary. It was not _trauma_ that fucked up her brain, she finally got her answers. 

She looked at her left hand. There were two glowing rings below her elbow and on her wrist. Similar, smaller rings on her hand - two for each finger, and one for the thumb. A silver ring with soft membrane was installed on her palm, the main part of her device. Similar membrane was placed on her fingertips, too. Four small, glowing crystals (which Moira always referred to as ‘implants’) were placed on the arm additionally, Carr guessed it was there to keep the excess somewhere, maybe. Everything, besides the silver ring, lit with a warm, yellow light. All the veins on the inside of her forearm were damaged and literally black under her skin. She didn’t really know what was additionally installed inside her hand. A drainage, maybe? Something must be there, for sure. She constantly felt pain in that hand. From her fingers, up to the armpit. It was the kind of pain that never went, and will never go away.

This device is literally keeping her alive at this very moment. And even worse, she could have died by now if not for that. The one thing she despised so much, felt ashamed to show publicly, the thing that degraded her to being _just_ a walking healthpack in this hell of an organisation, brought back her quality of life. And she didn't even know about that because of the memory loss, and because no one ever told her what the fuck is wrong with her.

_Everything because Moira wanted a test subject._

And Sombra knew. Of course she knew. Pepe knew, too. Who else knew about the whole ordeal, but not her? Why was it so crucial to not tell her _anything_ about her own health? She always asked questions, none of them were answered.

Carr took a deep breath and set the documents aside. Without putting any more thought into what she just read, she quickly got up from the chair, packed all the documents back together into the folder and put them into the gym bag that was laying in the corner. Then, she proceeded to open her wardrobe and pick clothes she might need on the go, and stood up to look around the room. She quickly untangled the fairy lights from the bed railing, grabbed the radio and the holopad from the desk and put everything between the clothes. They weren't necessities, but she couldn't leave without those. They had a strong sentimental value to her and leaving them there would be a waste. Then, she took down all the photos and the blueprint from the wall, and stopped for a moment to look at them.

Most of the photos showed her with Sombra or a guy with black mohawk, Pepe, or with them three together - her friends. One of them already deceased, or so they presumed. It has been six months since he was gone, and she still hasn’t recovered from that. The wound was still fresh and aching in her heart, and all she wanted to do right now was to run to him and ask for advice. But she couldn’t. She will never be able to ask him for any advice or train with him.

A few tears ran down her face.

Wiping the tears with her sleeve, she went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. She fixed her hair, made sure that her robotic eye was in a good condition and grabbed her cosmetic bag. After putting it in the bag, she made sure everything was secured and the bag itself was not too heavy, tucked her blaster behind the elastic band of her sweatpants, and just sat down on the bed and waited for the signal.

It’s now or never, Carr reminded herself. Nothing is keeping her here anymore. It’s probably the only chance she has, and she must be brave to face it. It’s the time to regain her freedom. Her own name. It’s time to become independent.

At 2:37AM she received a text from Sombra.

_Cameras are down. You're good to go._


	3. 2:37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When she reached her destination, just when she was about to open the door, she stopped and took a deep breath.  
> ‘Sombra, I know you’re probably not here, but… I wanted to thank you. For everything.’  
> A quiet giggle greeted her.  
> ‘Of course I’m here,’ replied Sombra right away, remaining invisible. There was a bit of tease in her voice. ‘Good luck, amiga.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little bit short, but don't worry, there's a lot more to come. Stay tuned!

_ Okay, Charlotte. Deep breath. It’s now or never. _

For a person that had memories only from the last three years and was almost never allowed to leave the headquarters, it was overwhelming. She didn't know what airports looked like, where she was heading, what to ask for when she gets lost. It was not a fun little trip on the weekend, it was running for her own life, alone, with almost no real knowledge of the outside world. The brainwashing they did on her worked wonders. She barely knew herself for the whole time.

With heart pounding in her chest, Carr quickly swept the room for the last time, and after she made sure she got everything packed, she left as quietly as possible.

It wasn’t hard to get through the headquarters at this hour, especially without a watchful eye of cameras. No one was around, her way to the back entrance was clear as never. No one really guarded it, too, it was barely used actually, which made the whole thing even easier.

Just as she took another round of steps down, her phone vibrated. It was a message from Sombra.

_ Go south until you see a taxi. It will be waiting for you there and get you straight to the airport. Don’t talk with anyone, act like you’re going on vacation, keep the blaster on you at all times. They shouldn’t find out that you’re gone up until your morning tests, but it’s good to be careful.  _

Easy, right? Well, it must be easy. No matter how difficult it gets, it  _ must be _ easy. 

When she reached her destination, just when she was about to open the door, she stopped and took a deep breath.

‘Sombra, I know you’re probably not here, but… I wanted to thank you. For everything.’

A quiet giggle greeted her.

‘Of course I’m here,’ replied Sombra right away, remaining invisible. There was a bit of tease in her voice. ‘Good luck, amiga.’

Carr smiled a little and pulled the handle slowly, opening the door. It was a cold summer night, way too cold for her expectations.

She was going out there often during those three years, ever since her best friend brought her there. It was the only bit of outside world she was allowed to have, and she enjoyed sitting there, watching the city landscape forming afar. Italy was beautiful, and she promised herself she will come back one day, just to sightsee. Of course, if her situation will allow that.

She quickly realised not only the cameras were down, but lights around the back entrance got turned off as well. It made everything even easier. No one is going to see her in pitch black darkness. Even with those conditions, she carefully placed her steps towards the gate that was only open a little bit, enough for her to squeeze through it. Sombra made everything as easy as she could.

As soon as she crossed the gate, she started to run as fast as her legs allowed. This was her only chance to get out of there. There was no time to be afraid. No time to question it.

She will leave everything behind. No more pain, morning tests, trainings, falling behind, being useless to everyone around. No Moira, no teammates making fun of her, no expectations, demands and prohibitions.

And most importantly, no more experiments.

And she ran, ran losing her breath. She ran, not looking back, closing this chapter for good. Ran until she reached the taxi that was waiting for her in the pure darkness - her only hope for a better life at this moment.

‘Miss Charlotte?’ asked a man in the car as soon as she opened the door.

Hearing this name aloud for the first time felt like a small puzzle piece was just put into place. One of the many that were still waiting for their spot. It was her old name, her  _ new  _ name. The name she regained tonight.

‘Yes,’ she replied, panting, and got into the car. ‘To the airport, please.’


	4. INTERVIEW

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Why do you want to work here?' he asked and adjusted his glasses. 'I'm not sure if we have a position for you.'
> 
> Carr took a deep breath and straightened her back. Confidence is key, right?
> 
> 'I know that skill-wise I might not be a good person to fill in your team, but I have this,' she replied and pulled her left sleeve up above the elbow. 

Doctor read the application thoroughly and looked at her. Charlotte Reid. 21 years old. Skilled in martial arts, weapon usage, basic skills in first aid, heavily underqualified. English and French, but not Polish. No medical degree whatsoever. She sat right there in front of him, looking weak and small, definitely too fragile to even consider this kind of job.

This was… An unusual interview. What is she doing here? Why is she applying for a position she had no experience in? This young? With this language barrier? Of course, most of the people employed in this hospital knew English, but even with that, it might be a problem. Polish was hard to learn, and even with studying every day it will take  _ years _ to master.

'Why do you want to work here?' he asked and adjusted his glasses. 'I'm not sure if we have a position for you.'

Carr took a deep breath and straightened her back. Confidence is key, right?

'I know that skill-wise I might not be a good person to fill in your team, but I have this,' she replied and pulled her left sleeve up above the elbow. 

Her hand looked… Damaged, to say the least. He carefully examined the glowing rings, the membrane on her palm, small implants both on her forearm and next to her eye, dark, dead veins painting her skin. The whole gear, along with the robotic eye, lit with warm, yellow light that illuminated the room a little. There were no other things attached to her arm or body whatsoever. No small tubes leading to a tank with some sort of healing device, nothing. It was an unusual mechanism, he concluded, using her own body instead of a different, much safer source. He has never seen anything like that.

'I have a rare genetic disorder that almost killed me, but was tamed with this device. Basically, my wounds heal in seconds and with this I can heal other people, too,' she said disturbingly calmly and moved her fingers a little. 'To the point that no scar is left.'

The doctor looked at her hand with curiosity in his eyes. He saw and constructed various medical devices and implants, but this is something he has seen for the first time in his career whatsoever. No one would go that far and make a literal healing device out of someone's body... Unless your work ethics are tainted.

'Who did this to you?' he asked, lowering his voice.

Carr sighed with a sad smile on her face.

'It will be dangerous for both me and you to reveal this information,' she replied. 'I'm looking for a place to hide and to help other people with what I have. I was suggested to go here. I don't want to cause any harm, and I think I will be able to help, if not in the hospital, then on the battlefield. They probably shouldn’t find me in Poland, so I’m safe here, for now.’

They both didn’t move an inch for a few seconds. The man sitting in front of her contemplated silently, considering all pros and cons.

‘This device also lets me generate a shield that will fit up to three people together with me. And my robotic eye lets me see injured teammates easily,' she suddenly added to break the silence. ‘I will be a good addition to the team, I promise. I more or less know my limits. I’ve been sent on so many missions I probably wouldn’t be able to count them all.’

Doctor sighed and leaned on the chair. Her abilities are something that would be highly needed in the battlefield and would definitely help if she became a part of the medical crew. But the fact that she has to use her own body to heal, that she has to hide and can't provide any information about who made her that way made him rethink this. It’s extremely risky. Is he ready to risk the whole hospital for her? Is  _ she  _ ready to risk her health and life for the greater good? Who is even looking for her?

He sighed deeply.

'Will you tell me about your disease if you get this position?'

'Only if you promise to keep it a secret,' she replied right away, looking him in the eyes.

She needed this job. She left Talon and arrived in Poland three days ago with no knowledge of where she is. Sombra directed her there and if they don't let her in she will be on her own. She doesn’t want to overuse Sombra’s help and resources, she was enough of a burden already. It must work out.

Carr felt like the silence was endless. The only thing they heard was the clock ticking above their heads. The atmosphere was heavy and she easily heard the blood flowing in her ears.

'Alright,' sighed doctor finally. 'You're in, we will start with a thorough training. But you need to provide me as much information as you can reveal, and I promise to keep it a secret. I also need to check how your gear works and make sure you are safe to use it.'

Carr immediately straightened up on her seat and smiled. She was determined to work hard and find her new place in the world. She will not waste this opportunity.

'Of course,' she said with energy in her voice. 'I will do my best.'

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my work! If you see any mistakes or typos, please let me know!


End file.
